It’s Friday night-1994

[Cositseleventhirtyandtheclubisjumpinjumpin]

How old are you, what are you doing?

I’m 16, almost due to do GCSE’s and have an amazing summer, only bettered by summer of 1995, the following year.
I’m out, either at a house party or drinking in the park or around the village. I spent ages getting ready in crop top or maybe a body, oversized denim or check shirt, usually tied around my waist, kickers & jeans. Hair long and wavy, coffee shimmer lipstick, bronzer and heavy eyeliner. Met up with the other four friends in our group to drink vodka or cider, smoke Embassy number one and probably some weed later on. Excitement’s in the air as it is every Friday night, we’ll probably meet up with the boys two years above us, maybe drive around in cars, possibly go with one of them (snog/kiss) but the most fun part is when all five of us girls get drunk together and howl with laughter, rarely has there been friendships as precious as those early ones.

This Friday night-I’m 48, lay in bed next to my sleeping 7 year old, live abroad and am a sensible adult.

May 1994 i was 32 i had a 1.5 year old and a 5 month old. I was seriously ill with post natal depression and a very abusive husband.

now I am twice as old, happily single and heading to canaries tomorrow. I have somehow managed to get both my children to adulthood as lovely people with nice lives and I am seriously well off. Not sure how I got here.

Either at a party getting pissed on diamond white, castaways and hooch or out round town drinking double archers and lemonade which cost £1.75 a drink. I was 16. We loved dancing to sunshine after the rain, dreamer and another night.

I wasn't born yet so I was an egg! 😂

In 1994 I was 20 and had been going out with my now-husband for a year. We didn't tend to see each other on Fridays though at that stage - he used to go out with his mates after work, while I used to buy a bottle of Mateus rosé, a bag of onion rings (crisps) and some Woolies pick and mix, and settle down to watch Cheers, Roseanne and whatever else Channel 4 had to offer!
Some things have changed - I'm about 50% heavier, we've been married for 28 years, the boys nights are long gone, and the wine is better quality.... But I still LOVE my Friday nights with the telly, snacks and wine.

(1994 Saturday nights though... They would have been a mess of alcopops, ecstasy and menthol ciggies... I was an avid clubber from age 15 until I got pregnant with my eldest at 25. )

I'm 21, working at an outdoor ed adventure centre on the border of England/Wales having an absolute ball. I am surrounded by people my own age (ish) and if I'm not on duty, walking the country lanes to the local pub to drink Hooch or Two Dogs, play pool and sing to the juke box. The walk back usually involves messing about, closing one eye when a car was coming (to keep your night vision) and wondering if that was a sheep coughing or someone hiding behind the hedge.
I have long hair with an undercut, wear oversized T-shirts and have just realised I do have the legs for shorts! I also listen to Atlantic 252 on long wave because the FM radio signal is so poor in the area! Oh, and I write letters to my mates back home because there is only one telephone on site available for staff to use!

Now I work in IT, am married to someone I met the following year at another centre and have a 16 year old doing GCSE'S - none of which I would have foreseen and all of which the 21 year old me would be surprised I am very happy about!

20, I would have been partying drinking and snogging 😂. Probably wearing some ripped fishnets, Courtney Love-inspired dress and combat boots 😊💖 great times...
Now... probably drinking a cup of tea, chilling in the garden with my cat, or being Mum's cabs to my 15 year old. Still great times but I sometimes miss those days, the 90's were ace

Omg Atlantic 252 and Two Dogs!! 😂💖 that takes me back!

1994 was the year I turned 21. Had been pubbing and clubbing for 4 years, working full time for 3 years and bought my first house at the end of the year (on my own). Friday nights were about having pre-drinks with my mates at one of our houses, getting a taxi into town, then dancing the night away in the local club. Walking home afterwards, unless I’d pulled then who knows!?
So pleased there were no mobile phones around to leave a photo trail😂🫣
Have now been with my husband 30 years.

I was studying for my exams round the clock. But I enjoyed it! I wanted to get into a particular course at a particular university and it was worth it.
Now I’m working in the field, raising my family and enjoying time with friends. I’m pretty happy!

I’m the same age as you. I would have been home for the weekend from boarding school (bank holiday long weekend) and would have been home with my parents having supper in the garden and then watching some TV and giving to bed to read! Or I might have had a friend to stay - if so we might have gone to the cinema.

Rarely drank alcohol as a teen. Never took drugs (and still haven’t ever taken any drugs). Liked a party, but never liked staying out too late (rural life and relied on lifts from my parents or friends parents).

Now? Friday night is normally home with my young teens, supper, games night, movie. Or revision at the moment (boring).

I was probably a massive square but I just never wanted to go to parties with loads of alcohol or drugs, it never felt safe to me. I really loved being at home with my parents and would give anything to have another normal evening with them when I was still the child and they were in charge of all the boring adult stuff.

My children are just starting to be an age where parties are happening with a bit of booze. Thankfully they don’t (yet) want to go and they normally see their friends to do the sort of things I did at their age (movies, ride a bike, go for a walk, play tennis, games nights, etc)

I’m loving this thread (although late to reading it!!). I was also 17 - I’d be wearing bootcut low rise cords with converse and a strappy top, a tiny zip purse with everything I needed for a night out, drinking vodka, lemonade and lime in a dodgy pub in Digbeth - possibly followed by the Dome or Institute after! Staying over at a friends or somehow making it home in a taxi and creeping in so as not to wake parents. About to start a-level revision and getting excited for first girls holiday in the sun planned for after.

Now - waiting up for my 16 year old to finish a night of roaming around the neighborhood with friends while the others are in bed!!

Atlantic 252!!!! Yes!

17, working full time during the week on an NVQ course which pays £27.50 a week. Fill my Honda vision up for £1.50 which lasts me a week. Friday nights are spent going to McDonald's.. then getting ready to go out while we watch Friends.. we walk to the local "night club" which is filled with 15-19 yr olds all on the hooches, two dogs, diamond whites. Lads in their xr2's and PUGs 205 circle round the club car park to see whose inside.
1996 was and will probably always be my most favourite year.

20, at university in manchester and would be either working in the Tarts or going to joshua brookes/canal street/upstairs? at the university to see friends dj and then jabez or the academy for a cheap friday (on the pull), or maybe the odd bigger clubs, sankeys/paradise/hacienda (although think these were during the week rather than weekend...although memory is hazy).
Now fifties done a career change and mainly chasing round after teens and going to occasional gig.

I was 10 probably watching shooting stars for Vic and bob having watched top of the pops earlier in the evening.

I'm now 41 and I was out Friday night with friends for dinner and drinks, with some bowling thrown in unexpectedly

I was 25 and just bought my first flat. Couldn’t afford furniture so just had one air mattress. Had a telly and no kitchen so had a microwave and a kettle. Lived by myself but had men swarming over me - when I just wanted to party. Had the start of an excellent Whitehall career Mon-Fri but Friday Eve I worked at the main student union in London and was having a blast. Worked there till midnight as various mates popped in then went raving rest of the weekend. Now I have a partner of 22 years, two teenagers and my own business. Still live centralish London and dance and gig whenever I can in my late 50s.

Friday night 1994, married, a baby daughter and another on the way, full time job .... Probably sleeping tbh. 😂

I was only a bit younger than you OP- nearly 15 in the spring of ‘94 and in my third year of high school. Rehearsals for our school production of Joseph were well underway and I was playing the butler and in the chorus. I loved all that theatre/musical stuff in school. I was friends with a boy who would become my boyfriend later that year and the relationship would last seven years on and off. He’s not who I’m married to now thank God. He was toxic but I was happy for a time. No exams yet, until the following year, so life was pretty carefree. Although I was plagued with teenage spots and greasy hair, and I had just started wearing glasses so I was full of angst and feeling ugly! I had one best friend at that time and we took turns being at each others houses or going up the shops. We also played badminton. I was a very quiet, well behaved and studious kid.